Internal-combustion engine



H. DOCK. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION Furl) JAN. 26. 1920.

Patented Apr. 5, 192 1.-

4 SHEETS-SHFFT I H. DQCK. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, I920.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H.DOCK. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26 l92 0- I I 1,374,140. Patented Apr.-5, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3'.

imm o wb H. DUCK.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-'25| I920.-

- Patented A r; 5,1921.

4' SHEETS-SHEET 4;

warren stares HERMAN DOCK, OF PLEASANTVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGN'OR TO LORENZO TRUSTEE. OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK.

earner oFFicE.

o. BUCKLIN,

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION Ehl'GINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. '5, 1921.

Apnea/tion filed January 26, 1920. Serial No. 354,187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN DOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pleasantville, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, 'of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines and has for its object to provide an engine which while adapted for use with any type of fuel used in internal cornbustion engines, is capable of developing more power for equal piston displacement than is possible with engines of other types, which is practically trouble proof, eliminates a great number of parts and is of simple construction.

These objects I obtain by the new features of construction hereinafter disclosed, which include a. cylinder open at both ends, on the head or firing end of which is or are fitted ported valve or valves movable on a plane or oscillating; the cylinder being constructed at its upper or firing end so that differential pressures are caused to act to keep the valve or valves and cylinder in operative contact. 1

A. particular feature of my invention is the means provided for the control of the pressures tending to cause leakage of gases between the valve and cylinder.

Other features of improvement will appear from the accompanying description and drawings in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through one type of engine';

Fig. 2 is a detail plan View on plane 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section through another type of engine having an oscillating cylinder; I

Figs. 1, 5 and 6 show the relative pos1- tions of the cylinder and valve at different stages of the operating cycle; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrammatic representations of the valve, and of the cylinder with its supporting element.

Referring to Fig. 1, the cylinder frame or casing 1 acts as a support for the rec1procative cylinder 2 and at the same time functions as a bearing in which this [cylinder may move, in order to permit freemovement of the slide-valve 3, the bearing surfaces of which are fitted to the inner surface of the casing head 4: and the upper surface of the cylinder 2. support for the cylinder 2 and serve mtiintaln the cylinder in contact with tl i ylaoygmiiltwhfle permittlng sllght relative The cylinder 2 is illustrated as constricted 1n bore at ts head or valve end. The purpose of this constriction is to afford a sur face capable of being acted upon by a force similar to that which moves'the piston. The reciprocative cylifnder acts, in fact, as a piston with ust suflicient slight longitudinal travel to maintain the proper pressure upon the bearing surfaces of the valve 3. A suitable water-jacket 6 may be provided for cogl mg the cylinder 2.

ine piston 7 ispivotally associated with a connecting element 8 and cooperatively associated with acrank 9 to rotate a shaft 10 as the piston travels to and fro, in the cylin- The casing head at is provided with an air or combustible mixture inlet 11, a gaseX- haust 12 and one or more orifices 13 suitable for a spark plug or fuel injection valve or other valve, and is secured to the body of the casing by means of bolts 14. A wateracket 15 may be provided for cooling the casmg head, and the valve 3 may itself be cooled, if desired. The valve 3 as illustrated in the drawings, is of the slide type and is operated by means of the cams 16 which rotates in contact with rollers 17, 17, mounted on a rod .18 which operates by a crank the gearsector 50, in mesh with a rack 51 on the slide valve 3.

In Fig. 1 the valve 3 is moved acrossthe end of the cylinder 2 in a direction trans verse to the axis thereof; but another arrangement would allow this valve to move in any direction on a plane. The valve motion is timed to bring the gas inlet 11, the orifice 13, and the gas exhaust 12 into .communication with the cylinder 2, through port P in the valve, at suitable periods in the cycles of operation through which the engine repeatedly passes. The shaft of the cam is rotated by a suitable gear train from the shaft 10.

The orifice 13 may serve as an opening through which the fuel mixture is ignited by a spark plug 51, or as an opening through which fuel may be injected, as in the Diesel type of engine. j The oil cup 19 is provided to supply oil to Springs 5 afford a cushion the bearing surfaces ofthe valve 3, and through sultable holes-21 1n the valve to the cylinder head bearing surface. Channels and perforations 20 and 21 serve to dis- 5 trlbute the 011 over the bearlng surfaces of the valve 3 so that at all times these surfaces are in lubricated contactwith the end of the cylinder 2 and the casing head 1.

The upper surface of the cylinder is provided with a relief groove 20 surrounding the opening-in the cylinder head and with supplemental ducts or channels 2 1 leading .to the atmosphere, as shown inv Fig. 2, or to a medium at different pressure than that in- 'side the cylinder. At the upper surface of 'the cylinder, the total projected area. surrounded by this groov'e must be less than the area of the piston, or, what is the same thing,

than the cross-sectional area of that portion of the cylinder in which the piston moves.

These grooves, in practice, serve to limit the pressure, which, especially during the compression and explosion periods, tends 'to force the cylinder away from the valve, to a pressure which cannot possibly exceed the internal pressure component acting on the I-' l annular surface 2i formed by the constriction in the upper end of the cylinder. Experience has shown that if thls rehef groove is not present, or if the area inclosed'by it is this tendency to blow out is entirely obviated.

The operation of my engine will be explained by reference to Fig. piston 7 and the valve 3 are-illustrated as in the, position at which firing is about to occur. During the expansion stroke whichim nediately follows/firing, there is exerted within the cylinder a force, the magnitude ofwhich is dependent upon a difference in the pressures of the gases within and without the cylinder.

the upper portion of the cylinder, this force acts upon the annular surface 27 to move the cylinder Q'and the piston 7 in opposite directions so that while the piston travels downward the cylinder 2 is pushed agamst'the valve 3making tight joints at its bearing surfaces. As the piston 7 approaches the end of the expansion stroke, while the pressure difference has value, the valve 3 is moved to open the exhaust 12 with but slight friction at its hearing surfaces. i

During the exhaust stroke, which forms the next stage in the cycle of operation of the engine, the piston is carried upwardby the inertia of the moving parts and the waste gases are expelled from the cylinder.

During the expulsion of the waste gases from the cylinder, the valve is in such a posito close the inlet port 11.

1 wherein the Due to the constriction in bore at decreased to a negligible l tion as to cover the orifice 13 and protect the plug orvalves from the exhaust gases. This arrangement is advantageous in that the carbon deposited on the'plug 0r valves is reduced to a minimum, and time of exposure to the heat reduced. p

' The reduced pressure of the escaping gases acts upon the constriction in the cylinder head, and holds the cylinder 2 against the valve 3 and again prevents leakage across its bearing surfaces. Near the end of the exhaust stroke, when the waste gases have been expelled from the cylinder, the

. gases into the cylinder until near the end of the suction stroke when the 'alve 3 is moved During the greater part of the suction stroke the partial vacuum existing within the recipro *ative cylinder 2 .ausesit to be suckedup against the valve 3 in such a way as to tighten the valve joints. As before, the pressure on the bearing surfaces of the valve decreased to a negligible value before the valve begins to The fresh gases, as they are being compressed prior to firing, exert a pressure upon the walls of the cylinder which is equal in all directions. This pressure, due to the constriction in the cylinder head, acts to force the cylinder against the valve with a force directly proportional to the gas pres-- sure which tends to cause leakage and as 111 the previous:.-stages leakage at the valve is practically obviated.

It will be noted that the pressures which keep the valve tight are automatic. The

springs 5 serve only to support the cylinder in contact with the valve and take up variations due to expansion and contraction, because of varying temperature.

In an engine constructed according to my invention, the tendency to produce leakage across the bearing surfaces of the valve and the force acting to prevent the same are both dependent upon and directly proportional to the same cause so that leakage is effectively prevented. v

While I have chosen to illustrate my invention as applied to a four-cycle engine, I desire it tobe understood that it is equally applicable to engines of the two cvcle type in which Case the valve would make a complete travel during one revolution of the crank shaft.

It isevident that Iinay provide means other than springs for yieldably supporting the reciprocative cylinder shown in Fig. 1.

tar-aria lit is also evident that the relief groove 20 and the supplementary channels or ducts 24 may be varied as to form and arrangement, it only being necessary that the area 26 uponwhich the wedge pressure acts be maintained at a value not greater than the annular area of the cylinder.

As shown in Fig. 3, the engine is of the oscillating cylinder type, shown in my prior PatentNo. 1,135,365.

In this form the valve 3' is oscillated by means of a double cam 40-41, mounted on cam shaft 46, engaging rollers 42, 43, mounted on the front and back of a plate 44 having a slot 45, whose walls slide on the cam shaft 46. The cam plate 44 is connected by link 47 with the oscillatable valve 3. The valve isthus positively driven in both directions. The valve 3 is mounted to oscillate between the upper end of the cylinder and a corresponding bean ing surface of the frame. The relief groove, 20, is provided on the upper end portion of the cylinder, for the purpose. above described. The cylinder is provided'with cross cylindrical lateral extension 61, which rest 0n a correspondingly shaped shoe 48, resting on springs 5, mounted in suitable supports in the frame, 1.

The cams are so shaped and arranged that the valves move only when there is practi cally no pressure upon them, and then in the same direction as the upper portion of the oscillating cylinder. Thus, in Fig. 3, the piston is moving downward toward the end of its suction stroke, the valve remaining stationary from the position shown in full lines of Fig. 4 to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 4. During this period, tne inlet valve is fully ope-n.

The valve and the upper end ofthecylinder then move together from the dotted line position of Fig. 4 to the full line position in Fig. 5, thus closing the inlet and exhaust openings and bringing the port P opposite the opening 13, the valve and the upper end of the cylinder moving in the same direction. The valve then remains stationary, during the movement of the crank from full line position of Fig. 5 to the dotted-line position of thesame figure. During this periodthe compression and explosion have taken place. The valve is thenmoved, again in the same direction as the portion of the cylinder with which it is.

in contact, until the crank'is in the full line position of Fig. 6, when it remains stationary, until the dotted line position, in the same figure, is reached.

The valve and cylinder end, then move together, again in the same direction from the dotted line position of the crank in Fig. 6 to the full line position of Fig. 4, when the cycle is repeated.

It will be noted that the valve is not moved relatively to the end portion of the cylinder, with which it is in contact except when the pressuresare ata minimum value, and then always in the same direction, so that little work has to .be done by the cams, and there is relatively no wear. The bearingsurface of the valve may be as large as desired. The reciprocating or oscillating valve acts as ahead to close the upper open end of the cylinder.

While the arrangement of valve-mechanism above described, is particularly advantageozus, it is obvious that the valve. may be arranged to move oppositely to the cylinder and that more'than one valve plate may be used, as shown in my prior patent.

The arrangementof the valve shown has also the very greatadvantage that the engine may be driven in either direction, in forward or in reverse, without change of the position of the valve or the cams, by merely interchanging, the function of the exhaust i and intakepipes by means outside the engine. g I claim: 1.1m an internal combustion engine, the

combination of a casing having ports, a

movable cylinder open at both ends and constricted at its firing end, a ported valve plate between the cylinder and casing closing the constricted end of the cylinder, means for operating said valve, a piston in" said cylinder, said cylinder having on its contact face a relief groove inclosing an area less than the area of the piston. 1 0

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a casing having ports, an open-ended movable cylinder constricted at its firing end, a ported valve between the cylinder and easing registering with the. firv ing end of the cylinder, a pistonin said cylinder," said cylinder having on its upper face a relief groove inclosing an area less than the area, of the piston, and an opening I or openings in the casing behind the valve for'receiving a spark plug, fuel valve, re-

lief and starting valve or other additional apparatus.

3. In an engine, a movable'cylinder open at both ends, one open end slightly constrict- 1 ed and a movable valve plate, having'a port of less area than the open end covering said open constricted end and acting as a head, and means for maintaining the cylinder in leakseal'contact against said valve plate.

4. In an engine of the oscillating cylinder type, the combination with the cylinder of a reciprocating valve, and valve-operating mechanism' constructed and arranged to cause movement of the Valve in relation to 125 the coiiperating portion of the cylinder always in the same direction. V

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a casing having ports, an oscillating cylinder open at both ends and 1 0 constricted at its firing end, a ported valve between the cylinder and casing closing the constricted end of the cylinder, means for operating said valve and a piston in said cylinder, said cylinder having on its contact face a relief groove inclosing an arealess than the area of the piston.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a movable cylinder, at cylinder frame or casing, a valve mechanism, and a piston, said cylinder being constricted in opening at one of its ends, and a relief groove on the upper face of the cylinder surrounding an'area of contact less than the internal annular area formed by the constriction at the firing end of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I afiix niv si nature.

HERMAN 1560K. 

